November 4, 2013

TV:

Finishing off the Week 9 festivities in the NFL was the continuation of a historic rivalry in the NFL on “Monday Night Football.” The Bears traveled to Green Bay to take on their NFC North nemeses Packers, and we ended up with a great game as usual. This one will influence potential playoff matchups down the road, so the repercussions (not to mention the injury issues) will be felt for weeks to come. Let’s take a look at the noteworthy players and storylines from the game so that we can determine why things happened the way they did. Afterward, we’ll also glance forward to Week 10 to see what’s in store for both the Bears and Packers.

What Happened: Lots of pessimistic Bears fans figured the only way they’d win this game was if Aaron Rodgers wasn’t playing. Well, be careful what you wish for. The Packers QB went down early in the first quarter with a shoulder injury while being tackled by Shea McClellin and never returned to the field. Backup Seneca Wallace came on after that, and it was clear Green Bay didn’t have much of a contingency plan for Rodgers’ absence. The Packers relied on the run for the rest of the game, and for the most part were able to keep things close. The two teams went into halftime with a 17-10 Bears lead on the strength of a Josh McCown (himself a backup to the injured Jay Cutler) pass TD to Brandon Marshall and a 1-yard run by Matt Forte. The Packers were able to find some room in the third quarter, even taking a lead on an Eddie Lacy TD and Mason Crosby field goal. McCown kept them at bay with another TD pass and one last field goal in the last minute of the game. The Packers wouldn’t score again, resulting in a surprising 27-20 Bears victory. There’s a logjam at the top of the NFC North right now, with the Bears, Packers and Lions all fighting it out at 5-3. Things are bound to get very interesting from here.

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The Stars: McCown did a fine job stepping in for Cutler, as he tossed 272 yards on a 22-of-41 line for a pair of touchdowns and added 20 more on a run. Speaking of running, Forte did his usual beastly performance, resulting in 125 rush yards and 54 more through the air to go along with his TD. Brandon Marshall (seven grabs for 107 yards and a score) and Alshon Jeffery (five receptions, 60 yards, TD) were the big stars in the passing game. The Bears accounted for 442 yards of offense in all. On the other side, the Packers running game was working well once again, with Eddie Lacy carrying the load for 150 yards and a score on 22 carries.

The Goats: The Green Bay defense needed to come up big in order to stay competitive, and they weren’t able to do that. In addition to the aforementioned 442 yards of offense allowed, they managed just one sack and no turnovers. Also, we hate throwing Wallace under the proverbial bus, as he was in a pretty impossible situation and had a limited number of plays at his disposal. That said, he was unremarkable with 114 yards passing and a (very acrobatic) Julius Peppers interception. The rusty Wallace also missed on a couple of big throws that could have changed the outcome of the game.

Injuries: Obviously, the big story here is Rodgers’ shoulder injury. (But for the record, LBs Sam Barrington and Andy Mulumba also left the game.) There’s nothing out there about the exact nature or severity of his injury right now, as the team wants to make a thorough diagnosis. That said, there are some rumblings out there about a possible broken collarbone. We’ll keep an eye on him this week.

Outlook: Let’s take a look forward to what will be happening in Week 10. The Packers will get another home game, with the Eagles coming to town fresh off a big win in Oakland. (1:00 PM ET.) For the Bears, they’ll be at home as well, and within the NFC North once again. The Detroit Lions will be visiting Soldier Field, fresh off a bye in Week 9. This one could be huge in the year-end divisional standings.

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